Cauliflower & Broccoli Gratin

I guess you could say it’s obvious why I always seem to feel obligated to bring vegetables to the Thanksgiving dinner table. I mean, I’m a dietitian, I guess that’s what I do…..eat vegetables, and feed people vegetables. Although I will tell you right now I took the saying “everything in moderation” to a new level this year on Thanksgiving. I rarely eat decadent desserts, but this year I had two and a half plates full of desserts. No lie. It was actually kind of gross how much dessert I ate, yet I loved every moment of it and don’t feel at all guilty (and I’ll do it again!). See, I only do that every once in a while….so….”everything in moderation” (including binging on desserts, in moderation, as in once or twice a year).

When you have this many desserts to choose from (including coconut cream pie, 3 different and unique versions of pecan pie, and two different types of pumpkin pie, oh…and cookies!) it’s hard to have just one. So yes, I had a bit of each, topped with homemade whipped cream. Worth the 500-700 calories.

But anyway, back to what I brought to the table, vegetables. I loaded up on vegetables so I wouldn’t feel so bad pounding the pie. This cruciferous casserole, which is what I called it, was the perfect mix of health and splurge. With white cheddar and greyer cheeses, delicious spices and cheesy crackers, there was no chance the broccoli and cauliflower could taste bad. And, it didn’t.

Fill a large saucepan with enough water to steam 14 cups of veggies (~3 inches) and add a steam basket to the large saucepan. Bring the water to a boil then add florets and steam for about 5 minutes (alternatively you could boil the florets in water for about 1 minute, then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking). Spread the steamed broccoli and cauliflower on a baking sheet and pat with a clean towel to soak up excess water.

Combine milk, mustard, garlic powder and salt in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl; whisk into the simmering milk. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, whisking. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Add both cheeses, and chives; whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.

Add florets to the pot and gently stir to coat evenly with the cheese sauce. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Combine the crackers and oil in a small bowl and sprinkle over the vegetables.

Bake until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the florets are starting to brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

** To make this a lower FODMAPs recipe, omit the cauliflower and just use broccoli (1/2 cup of broccoli is safe for most people on a low FODMAPs diet). Also, omit the garlic powder and replace the flavor by using a garlic or Tuscan olive oil. To reduce the lactose you can use Lactaid milk, and aged Gruyere cheese. Lastly, the crackers will contain FODMAPs but the mere 1-cup in this entire recipe shouldn't be enough to cause problems.

The casserole looked so pretty right before going into the oven. After 10 minutes the kitchen started smelling like cruciferous sulferous veggies cheesy heaven.

The whole time this was baking in the oven I was thinking about the meal we were about to enjoy. My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal is the turkey. Turkey, and stuffing. So, I was planning my plate; turkey for protein, stuffing for grain, this delicious casserole for my vegetable, and of course my pomegranate glazed carrots (recipe coming tomorrow). Of course when we got to my parent’s house I realized I wasn’t the only brilliant one who considered bringing a vegetable to the table. We also had sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts with pancetta.

Everyone said they really enjoyed the casserole, so I think it was a winner. I was sure to take a couple Beano before diving into this (well, really before diving into the entire meal). With the amount of cancer we have in our family I was happy to see so many cruciferous veggies for our meal. Broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts are some of the healthier veggies known to man, also known as “Cruciferous veggies” because they resemble a cross when harvested. They are natural detoxifiers (want to detox? Eat those veggies, also including cabbage and kale) and may even reduce colon cancer risk.

What’s your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal? I wish I could say this was my favorite, but like I said before, it’s always the turkey. This year we had a smoked turkey and it was, in a word, fabulous. This casserole was great though, so keep it in mind for your next holiday or other social gathering. Tomorrow I’ll be posting the other side dish I brought; pomegranate glazed carrots with pistachios.

Comments

I love seeing (and hearing about) all those cruciferous veggies – your meal was a nutrient powerhouse! This gratin looks fabulous. I’ve never put Gruyere on veggies, which must have tasted amazing. Cheese goes with everything, right?

That’s a LOT of dessert! 🙂 But you are so right, if you only eat bit too much of it once or twice a year there is no reason to feel guilty about it!

Your gratin sounds delicious! Glad you had plenty of veggie dishes!

I usually actually don’t like turkey that much, but this year’s turkey was really good. I used to love stuffing, and I was a bit sad that I couldn’t eat it. My favorite part of the meal is however always the turkey soup the next day. We eat it with kimchi. Sooo good! 🙂Andrea@WellnessNotes recently posted…Curried Carrot Soup: A Conscious Cleanse Recipe

I love Broccoli. I put it on my pizza, omelets, and fcttuciene. My son on the other hand won’t touch a veggie. We have to make him fruit salads mixed with yogurt and in the mix we hide spinach and carrots. Eats souvlaki like it’s going out of style though.

KirkI have been racking my brain as to wethher I should post on your blog, why, I hear others ask as they complete another lap of pain or bash out another 100 reps of torture. You and I do have things in common but crossfit isn’t an area of mutual interest, crossdressing holds more appeal, perhaps let’s be controversial!So what do I say?Where did you get that photo on page 1, I do like it very much as it reminds me of a drive up to a very grand house in the shires back home with sheep in the field and neat lime trees forming an avenue of shade. Is the figure walking away from or towards the camera? I imagine this person walking back to camera personally.Remember our feeble attempts to play chess, now there’s a worthwhile distraction when under treatment. I suspect Valentine’s Day was awful for all of you, sorry. However, everyone can read how mentally determined and tough you are, in my opinion you are a strong bookies favourite to win this race.Thank you for these stimulating articles, tear jerking stuff and very well written. You have a talent in that area so long as you keep the ‘dude’ references down!By way of useless connection I once had a leg of a racehorse called Clarion Call and its only claim to fame was to be accepted to race in the opener at Aintree on Grand National day, the rest of the time it was akin to burning a350 notes.So what to eat eh? Eat what you want; you were very sensible when you were still in the FF building, so raw fish, eel, Torino truffle chocolate, the odd bit of gelato, strong coffee, remember Eataly? Well I see that they have opened one in Manhattan. Lots of water, fresh homemade soups and good fresh fruit. I liked O’Ds reference to the Mediterranean diet and on that theme would the drugs allow the odd glass of red wine?Get yourself and the family a dog, they have telepathy and are natural healers.There you go, my first post on a blog done, bring on the Twitters.Keep smiling and confusion to the enemy.

Gina, The Candid RD

I'm a registered dietitian working hard to dispel nutrition myths, and to teach people how to live healthy lives without deprivation. My goal is to make nutrition simple, fun and delicious! I also follow a low FODMAPs diet for IBS. Feel free to contact me with questions.

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A story book that details a healthy trip through the grocery store, complete with a few recipes for your young ones!

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Disclaimer

This blog is meant to teach and inform you about nutrition and nutrition-related information. It serves as an outlet for my own personal opinions, but is not meant to be used as an absolute source of information. Before using this information to make any changes to your diet or lifestyle, I recommend that you talk to your doctor or local registered dietitian (contact me for options). Also, my low-FODMAPs recipes and recipe modifications are based on research done by the Monash University. Please contact me if you see something that you believe is inaccurate. I like to help, not confuse.